Will Michelle Wie be the first female golfer on the PGA tour?

Michelle Wie is making her professional golfing debut on the LPGA tour this week at Bighorn Golf Club in the Samsung World Championship. Her short but phenomenal golfing career so far has generated questions about whether she might be the first female golfer to be able to make it on the men’s tour.

Though only 16 years old, Michelle Wie has already made a huge mark as she has replaced Annika Sorenstam as the highest-paid female professional golfer. I’ve read that her endorsement deals with Nike and Sony will pay her $10 million. Can you say female Tiger?
There are some who have looked at this child golf prodigy and think her game will be good enough to consistently challenge the guys. She has done well in several LPGA events so far with a number of top 5 finishes. But she didn’t make the cut and get to play golf over the weekend in the men’s PGA tournaments she has played in so far. But considering her age at the time, she represented herself well.
What do her competitors on the LPGA circuit say about her? Well, it appears that jealousy has not raised it’s ugly head. Most comments I’ve seen are positive about her and the positive impact she can have on the ladies getting more sponsors, higher purses, and more overall exposure.
What does Michelle herself say? She was quoted recently in Golf Digest (November 2005 issue) as saying “My goal is to play all over the world in the best competition I can find. Sometimes that will mean women’s events and sometimes events that are usually for men.”
I’m not sure exactly what she means by that, but I personally think she has the best chance of any current female professional golfer. But I’m not convinced she will be able to compete with the men consistently. I believe the day will come when that does happen in the world of golf, but I don’t think that it’s this year or next.
Why? Well don’t call me a sexist or a chauvinist just yet. The reason from my perspective is pure numbers. I believe that professional sports, including golf, is about talent AND competition. Meaning that I don’t think that ladies golf currently has enough players starting at an early enough age to create the level of competition that will ultimately allow them to challenge the men at the professional level.
I do believe that it will happen, but it’s going to take a little more time. Agree or disagree, you can post your opinions below.